[CentOS] VMWare GSX Server and CentOS

Thu Jan 11 04:53:03 UTC 2007
John R Pierce <pierce at hogranch.com>

Joshua Gimer wrote:
> Has anyone had experience (good or bad) with VMWare GSX Server running 
> CentOS as a VM under high load?
>
> Here is the situation. We are planning on rolling out some new boxes 
> to replace an existing box. Currently this box (Sun V860) is running 
> web services, database services, mail for students, and is an 
> instructional box for compiling code, and web scripting among other 
> things.
>
> We are planning on doing one of two things, either using VMWare and 
> splitting up the services or using Solaris Zones. The box(s) has to be 
> able to access data stored on the SAN (Fiber Channel HBA's). The 
> boxes(VM's), or Zones would be split up accordingly:
>
> Database box: Oracle, Postgres, and  MySQL
> Mail: Sendmail, POPS, and IMAPS (roughly 25,000 mailboxes)
> Web: Apache, PHP, mod_ssl
> Interactive Logins: Compilers and such.
>
> Any information about any experiences with VMWare and CentOS, under 
> similar load would be helpful. I will probably make this same post on 
> the Sun Solaris Mailing List, and VMWare's forums. Thanks in advance!

I dunno, but I'm curious why you want to run so many VMs' or zones?    
the database/mail/web stuff would probably all run most efficiently in 
the 'host' OS... I can see some advantages to running student 
interactive logins in a VM or zone for security isolation.


its that, or I'd put the infrastructure things (email, school web, 
school databases) on a dedicated and secure hardware platform, then put 
all the instructional stuff on a seperate hardware platform.   I don't 
like having too many eggs in one basket.